MDA Space Ltd. (NYSE: MDA) has been awarded a $688 million contract by the Canadian Space Agency to design, build, test, launch, and commission a synthetic aperture radar satellite that will operate alongside the existing RADARSAT Constellation Mission satellites.

The contract also covers launch services and enhancements to satellite ground control, security, and data management systems. It follows a $44.7 million contract awarded in December 2025 for the procurement of long lead parts.

The new satellite will be based on MDA's CHORUS technology, described by the company as its fourth generation of Earth observation capabilities. The satellite is intended to provide day-night, all-weather surveillance data. It will be assembled, integrated, and tested at MDA Space's facility in Montréal.

The contract is part of the Government of Canada's $1.012 billion RADARSAT+ portfolio, announced in October 2023, aimed at ensuring continuity of the RADARSAT Constellation Mission and maintaining sovereign Earth observation capabilities.

"Every day, Canada and Canadians rely on critical Earth observation technology and data to improve maritime safety, surveil the Arctic, respond to natural disasters and monitor the environment," said Mike Greenley, CEO of MDA Space.

MDA Space said the contract will be added to its backlog in the second quarter of fiscal 2026. The original RADARSAT Constellation Mission satellites were built and launched by MDA Space in 2019.